Title:

Which ice cube shape melts faster?

Broad Question:

Does ice melt in different situations?

Specific Question:

Does the shape of an ice cube affect how quickly it melts?

Variables:

Shape, Volume, Time, and Surface

Independent Variable:

Shape

Dependent Variable:

Time

Controlled Variables:

Volume and Surface

Hypothesis:

I hypothesize that the ice cubes with the Curved Bottom will melt faster, followed by Cubed Like Bottom, Chosen Shape 2, and Chosen Shape 1.

Graph of Hypothesis:

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General Plan:

Experimental Design:

I am going to conduct an experiment that will help me determine which shape of an ice cube melts the quickest. I will have four ice cube trays in my experiment. Their roles in my experiment is to form the shape of the ice cubes. I will do 4-5trials in order to have enough information to make a reliable conclusion. As I conduct my experiment, I’ll record a data table directly on my computer. As I continued conduct, I’ll document my process on a blank piece of blank lined paper.

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Background Research:

Well, an ice cube melts because it attracts heat from the atmosphere and the solid water molecules start moving faster. The outer layer of the ice cube attracts the heat and it starts melting first. The amount of heat an ice cube could attract would depend on its surface area. Yes, the rate that ice melts is directly proportional to its surface area. Now here's where things gets a little hard, with a smaller surface area, the ice will melt faster, although if it is connected, it will, by definition, have a smaller surface area, however each and every individual part will all melt at the same rate, therefore you treat each part as a separate entity. Performing an experiment to find out if the shape of an ice cube affects how quickly it melts is actually exploring whether surface area affects the melting rate. During this experiment, maintain the same water volume, freezer temperature, room temperature, water source and container material for each sample to isolate the effects of shape on the ice cubes' melting rate. The amount of time it takes to melt anything, including ice, depends on two main variables. One variable is the difference between melting point and ambient temperature. The other variable is the amount of surface area exposed to ambient temperature. Different shapes have different amounts of surface area so, yes, the shape of ice does affect its melting time.

References:

1. Source: "Q & A: Ice Cube Shape vs. Melting | Department of Physics | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign." Physics Van | Department of Physics | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. <http://van.physics.illinois.edu/qa/listing.php?id=1578>.

2. Source: "Does the shape of an ice cube affect how quickly it melts...” Ask Questions and Get Answers for Free - eHelp.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2012. <http://www.ehelp.com/questions/10435583/does-the-shape-of-an-icecube-affect-how-quickly-it-melts>.

3. Source: Roberts, Anna. "Science Project: Does the Shape of an Ice Cube Affect How Quickly It Melts? | eHow.com." eHow | How to Videos, Articles & More - Discover the expert in you. | eHow.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2012. <http://www.ehow.com/info_8590118_science-cube-affect-quickly-melts.html>.

4. Source: Cole, Ryan. "Does the Shape of Ice Affect Its Melting Time? | eHow.com." eHow | How to Videos, Articles & More - Discover the expert in you. | eHow.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2012. <http://www.ehow.com/facts_6917587_shape-affect-its-melting-time_.html>.

Materials List:

1. Pencil/Pen

2. Piece of lined paper

3. Computer

4. Four different molded ice cube trays

5. Counter top

6. Towel/Face cloth

7. Timer

Detailed Procedure:

1. Retrieve ice trays from freezer

2. Fill each ice tray w/ the some volume of water

3. Put trays back into freezer until water is frozen

4. When frozen, put a plate onto a kitchen counter

5. Place a timer on counter top

6. Place a ice cube from one of the different shapes, onto plate

7. Keep ice cube under human surveillance until ice cube is completely melted, after timer is started

8. Stop timer once ice has melted

9. Record the time on data table

10. Dry the plate

11. Repeat steps 6-10 for all the other trials

Diagram:

Photo List:

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Results:

The original purpose of this experiment was to see if the shape of a ice cube would effect the rate at which the ice cube would melt. The results of this experiment were that the cylindrical shaped ice cubes took the longest to melt: 300-340, followed by Eroded(Crushed): 180-260, Cubed: 150-187, and Curved: 48-180. Averages; Cylindrical: 326.93, Crushed: 239.98, Cubed: 166.82, and Curved: 143.98.

Data Table:

Graphs:

Photos:

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Data Analysis:

Conclusion:

My hypothesis was that the ice cubes with the Curved will melt faster, followed by Cubed, Curved, and Cylindrical. My results do not support my hypothesis. There is a realationship btween the independent and dependent variables. Some patterens and trends that my data shows are; Patteren- Trial1-5 graph- The majority of bars on the graph shows a patteren; Trial1 is shorter than Trial 2, Trial 2 is the tallest, Trial 3, 4, and 5 drop ever so slightly. But in the Cubed and Cylindrical Trials, Trial 5 gets taller, Patteren- Average graph- Cylindrical, Crushed, and Cubed are taller than Curved, but Cubed is shorter than Cylindrical and Crush. I think that the tests went smoothly with minor problems. The day that I did the first Trial from the Curved ice cube, the temp. was 72 degrees fahrenheit, while the other trials were done on days that were at least 52 degrees fahrenheit.

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